Antiskid-chain-tightening device



1,632,644 June 14 1927' E CROWELL ANTISKID CHAIN 'FIGHTENING DEVICE Filed July 29. 1926 gwuentoz @MM/57; d

j nn;-l PATENT j o Frio-E. ,f

l aremoved to stretching positions andfvvhih and facilitates the adjustment; of the devioej` '9.5 endoi` the chain in engagement `with the has laA .Washer 12 or other*shoulderedf'are 3o Course of the-following dgscriptonwheren enlargedfpolygonal head 13 whichV also 1 over--k l Ptent'eddime `14, :1927i i' i Y' i' i EMERSON onovvin'nn,v on DALZELL, soUaH DAKOTA. i ANTIsKrn-CHAIN Trennenine;. vnaviera.v Application led ,J11.1y.29,i 19H26.` Serial No.y 1`25-,v740.

lhis invention relates hroadlyto neivand pair of strap-loops 7 secured to the bar useful improvements in pushing end pnll-` in amanner to permit the bar 6v to slide ing devicesrand is particularly adapted ior, through Vthe looped. portions'of thesestrap@` Y use-in connection with anti-skidfohains forl in order Vthat the liars will kloe retained V'in' 60 5. automobile tires. 'p f the relationshipdescribedfaboveglontfitvill An important object ot the invention ref` he noted' that instead ont"formingI the` 'tivo' sides in the provision ot a tightener includestraps-uponthe one/'bar 5, one'ol"themnlajf` ingj a pair oi' relatively movable stretching besecuredto 'thebari 6 to permit the' barf* membersto which the ends ot the tire chain to slide therethrough. 65 lo are connected and having means associated "The means provideditor moving the twov therewithiorreleasablyretainingone end bars relatively to eachother comprises of.. the chain engaged `ivith the tightenerfactrack vand pinion arrangement yin lthe presen@ ingiin a mannen to prevent disengagement f instance7 which desirable in such devices oit the-end f the chain when said members because it moves bothv bars simultaneoiisly 70 Will permit disengagement ot'*V the VVchainv to stretching andgnon-stretclring positions.

therefrom when the stretching members are A pinion 8I is arranged between' racks 9V and disposed innon-stretching positions. p l() oit the liars 'and 6 respectively to col e e Another important object ofthe: inven operate therewith` in `moving the barsrela? 75-" tionwrlesides in the provision eta device of tively` `These two racks in the stretching the above @hummer with stop: means acting bars 'aiqeprovided in t'hebottoms oteut'out p toV limit` the movement ofyone otsaifd stretchportions ll which are disposed substantially inggineinbers Vin one direction Whenj the medially 'ot the inner edgesof theY respeo A aforesaid means for releasahlyretaining oney tive bars as shown. 'One end ott-he pinioi'r S0 tightener is in either its open or closed po-k rangement `tor engagen'ientvwiththe,sides-fof "giton, f f -v the bars `5 and 6 to prevent axialv moveinent` Other objects andadvantages of the in- .Off the: Pillon in' one direction,y While 'the n vention will become apparent during the Other @lfl'oftllel pinion is providedfwith an 85 like nnrnerals are employed to vdesignatelilre laps the sides o 'if the t`nio` bars l to` prevent parts throughout the" severalviews.y g displacementotthepinion in ythe opposite i In the drawings wherein for the purpose tllleCtOl; This polygonal head also pro-` of illustrationlrhave Shown the, embodiment Vides for lOtatil 0f the pinion with 9() ot the invention Whielris at present pre- Wjloll'o'lror otherSuitaloletool)7 .andispreiV `iterred,v i videdwvlth a cro'lshs-groove lili-for the 'recep- Figure l is a side elevation 03E-,the tire tlon of 2L screwdriver for ti'irning4 thefpinion lchain tightener in stretching position; andieiecting relative' movement ot the hars y F'gure 2 vis asimilar view ofthe device tllluglltll Hltelletllwy of the raolS"9 95 40 in'nonfstretohingposition. p l Y lf l and lol j e, .h f i i Iignre is.4 a top plan of the tightener e' 'I`hee1`idsof` the .tirechainare connected shown iin@` the position illustrated! inv Fig OpPQSQCl endso'the stretchingbars 5 l1/1d ure 1. v Y i 'e 6,.':itbei'ng.observedtliat one end ofthe tire y Figure 4l` is a transversesection of the de Chain lloateflby the numeral l5 sseonred k10o` 4.5 vice taken on thelinel-S-llof Figure L y, ptOglTe @ed 0f tlllou 6 in an; snitahlemanf Referring` nowL iniidetailpptoithe` drawing, 10613k Wl1l`0'1 "0f `'lW/ Glfl lHllS1 lf'joftlie I liavcillustratedthe improved jchaintight other end 'of the" chain k1s -releas'ablyconfenerlin Vva torniembodyingrapair of rrelaneoed t0 theoppos'ed'end of thehar; `For p tively movable bars 5 ande- `wheln, will tlns purpose, the muet edge of; the here 105 termistretchingHmemb'ersf` These bars are adjacent said end 1s provided wlthja" recess slidabljf engaged with each otheralong their or notch 17 to receive one ofthe vend links inner longitudinaljr edges-as sho-Wn, to move 16v of 'the tlle Chem 'for releasably connectlongit'ndinafll7 inwardly oteaeh otherinto ingit` tothe tiglitener.' It Willheobserved,

stretching positions andi outwardlyl of: one from Fgurey 1, that thel recess l'jis "closed 11o anotheriinto thein,non-stnetching,positions ornncovered by` the complementary har t3 In thegpresent instance, Ihave shown a when the tivo barsare'disposedin stretclring positions in order to prevent accidental displacement of the end of the tire chain from the bar 5. However, when the bars are moved to non-stretching position, as shown in Figure 2, the link receiving recess 17 of bar 5 will be opened or uncovered by the complementary bar G to permit easy disengagement of the end of the link 16 from the tightening device.

In order to limit the outward movement of the bars and (3 and to retain the link receiving recess 17 in eith-er its open or closed position, stop means are provided which automatically come into action when the bars are disposed either in non-stretching position and the link receiving recess 17 is open, or when the bars are disposed in stretching position and the recess 17 is closed by the bar G.

In the present illustration this stop means is formed by providing the outer longitudinal edge of the bar G, adjacent the end thereof to which the end ot the tire chain is connected, with a pair of spaced notches 18 and 19 for co-operation with a latch 2O earried by the bar 5. It will be particularly noted that these notches 1S and 19 are inclined inwardly toward the center ot the bar 6 and open in a direction toward the end ot the bar to which the tire chain 15 is connected, in order that the latch 20 will cooperate therewith in limiting the outward movement ot' the stretching bars and yet not interfere with the free inward movement of these bars, since the latch Q0 will ride over these notches when the bars are moved to stretching' positions. It may be stated here that additional notches similar to those 18 and 19 may be provided without departing from the scope of the invention.

The latch 20, in the present instance is illustrated as being spring-pressed, although it is not necessary that it be so actuated. This latch Q0 is in the iorm ol a resilient yoke, as best seen in Figure 3, adapted to straddle the bar 6 in a manner th-at its bight portion 9.1 will be received in either ot' the notches 18 or 19. This latch is pivoted to the bar 5 by extending an angular end 22 thereof through the bar 5 and the loop strap 7, and in order to render the latch springpressed, the other end of the yoke is coiled around the extended end ot the portion 2Q as shown at 23, and is carried inwardly along the bar and has its free end 24 suitably anchored in the side oi? the bar 5. By this construction the latch is normally urged downwardly upon the outer longitudinal edge of the bar 6 so that it will ride thereover during,T relative movement ot the bars and snap into notches 18 or 19 as the bars are moved inwardly or outwardly of each other into stretching or non-stretching position, as explained herebefore.

It is believed that the use of the device is entirely clear trom the foregoing description, but it may be stated :tor further elearness that the pinion 8 is turned when it is desired to tighten a chain about a tire so that the two bars 5 and (3 move outwardly of each other to substantially the position shown in Figure 2 so that the link receiving recess 17 is opened or exposed Vfor the insertion thereinto ot' the end link 16 ot the chain. It will be seen, that when the device is adjusted to this position` the springpressed latch 2O has dropped into latch 19 to prevent further outward movement ol the bars in order to prevent their disconnection. After the end link 10 has been placed in the link receiving recess 17. the pinion S is turned in the opposite direction to cause the two bars to move inwardly of each other to tighten the tire chain7 and as the bars move in this direction it will be seen that the bar 6 will cover or close the notch 17 and prevent accidental displacement ot the end link 1C. llilhen the bars have been adjusted to properly tighten a chain about a tire, the latch 2O will have snapped into the notch 18 to retain the bars in the newly adjusted position and will effectively prevent outward movement of the bars to slacken the chain unless the spring-pressed latch is manually lilted Afrom the notch 18.

Although l have illustrated and described the invention as being used 'tor tightening anti-skid tire cl ains, it is (o be nmlersdood that the device is capable ot stretching wire and other things and crmsctpiently i( is to be understood that the appended claims are to be construed in such a manner.

It is to be 'further understood that l do not restrict the invention to the precise form herein described and that various change-n in the shape, size and arrangement o l' parte.- may be resorted to without departing from the scope ot the appended claims.

laving thus described my invention what I claimA is:

1. A strand tightencr comprising in combination, a pair oi relatively movable stretching members adapted to be connected respectively to the ends of a strand to tighten the same` one of said men'ibers having a recess for the reception ot' one end ot' said strand and adapted to be covered to prevent dis placement ot said end when said members are moved to operative stretching position and to be opened when said members are moved to inoperative non-stretching posi-- tion, and means Yfor moving said stretching members relatively. i

2. A tire chain tightener comprising in combination. a pair of relatively movable stretching bars adapted to be connected respectively at opposed ends to the ends ot' a chain, one ot said bars having a recess: adjacent its end lor the reception of a chain link to connect one end of the chain thereto and lofi adapted to be closed by the other bar When said bars are moved inwardly oteach other to stretching positionsand to be opened when said bars are moved in the opposite direction into non-stretching position.

3. A .tire chain tightener comprising. in combination, apair ot' relatively movable stretching `bars adapted to be connected respectively at opposed ends to the ends ot' a chain, one of said bars having a recess adjacent its end for the reception or' a chain link to connect one end of the chain thereto and adapted to be closed by the other bar when said bars are moved inwardly of eachother to stretching positions and 'to be opened When said bars are moved in the opposite direction into non-stretching position, andV limit the outward movementmeans acting to ot the recessed har to retain the link receiving recess either in itsiopen or 'closed position.

4. A tire chain tightener comprising a pair of relatively movable stretching bars adapted to be connected respectively at opposed ends to the ends of a chain, oneo't said bars having a recess adjacent its end for the in a ldirection to liinitthe outward move'- ment oi the recessed bar and arranged with respect to said recess to retain it either in its open or closed position. e.

5. A tire chain tightener comprising a pair ot' relatively movable longitudinally slidable bars engaging each other along their inner longitudinal edges' and adapted to bek connected respectively at their opposedends tothe ends of a chain, one' of said bars having a notch in its inner edge adjacent its end lfor 'the reception of a chain link to connect Lcess closed. n

one end of the chain thereto, said notch bee ing closed by the other bar Whenthe latter slides thereover to prevent displacement of the'chain link, and said notch being opened When said latter har uncovers said notch to permit removal of the chain link. i

6. A tire chain tiglitener comprising a pair of relatively movable longitudinally slidable bars engaging each other along their inner longitudinal edges and adapted to be connected respectively at their opposed ends to the ends ot achain, oneot said bars having a notch in its inner edge adjacent its end for the reception of a chain` link to connect one end of the chain thereto, said notch being closed by the other bar when the latter slides thereoveil to `prevent displacenient of thechain link, and said latchbeing opened When said latter bar uncovers the said notch to permitremoval of the` chain link, one o'l' said bars having a pair of notches, the other bar having a springpressed'latch adapted to coeoperate with said pair of notches, andsaid pair ot' notches being` arranged with respect tok said link receiving notchto retain it either in its open or closed position. j 7. A tire chainy tightener comprising Vin combination, `a pair of relatively movable 'stretching members adapted to be connected respectively at opposed ends to the ends or1 a chain, one o'l said members having arecess adjacent itsend ttor the reception of a' chain link to connect one end of the chainrthereto, andadapted to be covered to prevent displacement ot said link when said members are moved to operative stretching position and to be opened when said' members are moved to inoperative 'nonstretching posi tion, and means for releasably locking the recessed member in either a position With said recess open or in a position With its re- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EMERSON cnovvnnn.y 

